Football

Thép Xanh Nam Định players take part in training in Phú Yên Province in early August to prepare for the new season. Photo of Thép Xanh Nam Định

HÀ NỘI Thép Xanh Nam Định head coach Vũ Hồng Việt wants to beat Đông Á Thanh Hóa at the National Super Cup match, the start of the new football season, on August 31 on their home soil at the Thiên Trường Stadium.

Nam Định are the V.League 1 champions, showing an impressive performance throughout the season. They recorded 53 points to top the ranking with 60 goals.

Meanwhile Thanh Hóa are the National Cup winners, defeating all title favourites to take the trophy for the second straight year.

It will be considered a sweet revenge for the hosts after losing to Thanh Hóa in the National Cup's semi-finals and missing their chance to qualify for the gold-medal match.

“Thanh Hóa are strong as we experienced their power in the last two seasons," said Việt at the press briefing in Hà Nội on Monday.

"The team head coach (Velizar) Popov is a special trainer who can inspire his players to play strong and high-speed football.

"We regrettably lost to them in the National Cup and will not let it happen again in the upcoming game, especially when we play at Thiên Trường," he said.

Also at the press briefing striker Nguyễn Văn Toàn said he was recovering from an ankle injury and might not play at the Super Cup.

However his absence would not affect Nam Định's playing style as his teammates were training hard and would do their job well in the upcoming game.

"Our defeat to Thanh Hóa in the National Cup pushes us to strive stronger for the Super Cup. We will seek revenge and keep the trophy at Thiên Trường,” Toàn said.

It will be Nam Định's first ever trophy if they win. In the past, Nam Định competed in the 2007 Super Cup but they lost 1-3 to Bình Dương at the Gò Đậu Stadium.

Nam Định's striker Nguyễn Văn Toàn (2nd right) and midfielder A Mít of Thanh Hóa (3rd left) hold their teams' jerseys during the National Super Cup press briefing. — Photo tienphong.vn

On the Thanh Hóa side, coach assistant Mai Xuân Hợp said their strong determination would be a weapon to help Thanh Hóa when they have to play far from home.

“We are happy competing in the Super Cup match for the second time. We will have to play at Nam Định's Thiên Trường, a disadvantage for us, but we will turn that into motivation to win, creating a good beginning of the season," said Hợp.

"Thanh Hóa have focused on practising for this match and made up a plan to prevent Nam Định's sharp striker Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, the top scorer of the season, from scoring."

Midfielder A Mít said his goal against Nam Định at the National Cup semis would inspire him to score another goal on August 31, fulfilling Thanh Hóa's target of winning the second Super Cup match in history.

The match will be overseen by a foreign referee for the first time, as the organising committee invited Malaysian FIFA-official Muhammad Nazmi bin Nasaruddin to Thiên Trường.

It will also be the first time that the VAR system is used in this seasonal opening match. VNS